Free Republic

Former President Barack Obama’s possible new mansion on Martha’s Vineyard could be totally underwater by the year 2100, according to a climate change model relying on government data. The Obamas are reportedly in the process of buying the island property, which was originally listed at listed at $14,850,000, from Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck. Though the deal has yet to be finalized, both TMZ and the Boston Herald have reported that the Obamas are in escrow. Climate Central, a research group funded by the government during the Obama administration, projects the Obamas’ possible new mansion to be well underwater in...

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich told CNN Tuesday night that he doesn't see any path "right now" to beating President Trump in the Republican primary. He noted that "that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a path down the road... But right now, I don't see it."

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit on behalf of a County of Santa Clara, CA, taxpayer to overturn a policy that protects aliens in Santa Clara County’s custody from removal proceedings by federal immigration authorities. The taxpayer lawsuit, filed on behalf of Howard Myers, is against Laurie Smith, sheriff of Santa Clara County and Carl Neusel, acting chief of correction of Santa Clara County ( Howard A. Myers v. Laurie Smith et al. (No. 19-CV-353510)). Santa Clara County Board Policy 3.54(B) requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to obtain a “judicial arrest...

Costco has built a cult following in the United States — now it's China's turn. The country's first Costco store is so popular that it had to shut down early on its first day because of too many shoppers. The retailer opened its first physical outlet in Shanghai on Tuesday morning, and it quickly got too crowded to stay open. "The store has been clogged up with crowds," Costco said in a text message alert to its members in China. "To provide you with better shopping experience, Costco will suspend business in the afternoon. Please don't come." Police were deployed...

Via Joel Pollak, a stumper from an event in South Carolina. What’s the politic answer to give here if you’re a modern right-thinking “kill ’em up to the moment of crowning” liberal? Clearly the answer Beto wants to give, the one that’s consonant with left-wing thinking, is “No, your life had no meaning until you were born.” But that’s a tough thing to say to someone’s face when he’s asking about his own life specifically. The less abstract and more concrete questions about abortion get, the more uncomfortable they are. So no, O’Rourke won’t say that. “Of course I don’t...

Posted on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by Msgr. Charles Pope Satan is Real Once again it is necessary to reiterate the true, Catholic, and biblical teaching on Satan and demons. Contrary to what Superior General of the Society of Jesus Fr. Arturo Sosa stated in a recent interview, the Church does not teach that Satan is merely a symbol or an idea. He is not the “personification of evil”; he is a person, an individual creature, a fallen angelic being (as are all demons). Scripture uses personal pronouns in referring to Satan and demons (e.g., he, him, they)....

President Trump on Wednesday tweeted that Fox News has become too hospitable to Democrats and "isn't working for us anymore," arguing his supporters "have to start looking for a new News Outlet." Trump lashed out in a trio of tweets after a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) appeared on "America's Newsroom." The president cited her interview; the employment of former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile; Juan Williams, who is also a columnist for The Hill; and anchor Shepard Smith to claim the network is biased against him. "Just watched @FoxNews heavily promoting the Democrats through their DNC Communications Director,...

Councilman Argues Power Washers are Racist, Since Hoses Used Against Blacks in Past Seattle has a human feces problem on their streets and sidewalks. But the city council cannot agree on how to remove the crap.Councilmember Larry Gossett Councilmember Larry Gossett says power-washing the sidewalks bring up images of using hoses against civil rights activists. The Seattle News reported: Some committee members expressed concern about addressing the symptoms of the area’s problems without getting to the cause. Councilmember Larry Gossett said he didn’t like the idea of power-washing the sidewalks because it brought back images of the use of hoses...

Evangelical Christianity remains one of the few topics about which it remains permissible, and possibly even praiseworthy, for a Jewish liberal to know nothing. Take evangelical attitudes toward Israel. Almost every time the subject comes up, someone will explain that Christian Zionism conceals, under a cloak of philo-Semitism, a nefarious agenda. Christian Zionists support Israel, supposedly, to hasten the end-times, when, as Bible professor Candida Moss writes, “Jews must convert or die.” Political scientist Elizabeth Oldmixon explains that evangelicals are part of “movement in Christianity that’s as old as Christianity itself,” and want to hasten “a millennium in the future,”...

The Russian capital has been the site of the biggest anti-government protests in years after authorities last month barred more than a dozen opposition politicians from taking part in a Moscow city election. Police have briefly detained over 2,000 people, sometimes violently, at rallies that the authorities said were illegal. “The main task at the job is to protect public order and ensure public safety at mass gatherings in Moscow,” reads the National Guard’s ad posted on Russia’s HeadHunter job site on Monday. The recruits will be required to “suppress ... uprisings, public-order crimes committed by groups and mass pogroms.”...

A Gallup poll published this year found that Americans’ trust in clergy is at an all-time low. Doctors, teachers, police officers, and even funeral directors all ranked as more trustworthy than pastors.While I’m not sure what shenanigans an undertaker would have to pull to lose this surprisingly lofty reputation, it’s clear that suspicion toward ministers isn’t merely an aftershock of recent scandals. It’s part of a much larger anti-institutional swing in American religion — one that’s left an unprecedented number of Christians convinced they can practice their faith just fine without the church. In reality, they’re setting themselves up...

I was sitting in a Sunday School class, and was probably around eight or nine years old. I cannot remember what the Scripture was that day. However, the room was brought into a very serious state of mind as we were presented with something and were asked to sign it. I had never entered into a contract before, but had a sense that it was a very serious thing. The contract was known as the “pledge.” The point was a promise: not to smoke or drink before age 21. I was not entirely sure of the point of the exercise....

Over the past several years, many on the Right, whether dissident or mainstream, have begun to wake up as to the true nature of the Left. While it has taken longer than it really should have, an increasing number of normiecons are starting to figure out some things, such as that people on the Left aren’t interested in “fair play” or “following the rules.” It’s taken so long because most conservatives, especially older ones, were habituated to a previously prevailing political climate in which there was at least an idealised public consensus that these traits were how you “did politics...

More than three months after President Trump granted his attorney general unprecedented power to declassify intelligence files, key U.S. intelligence agencies are still withholding documents related to the Trump-Russia affair... The source of the logjam: the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which Trump is in the process of shaking up after the resignations last month of its director, Dan Coats, and principal deputy, Sue Gordon. “Establishment” officials in that agency are still dragging their feet... Sources who have seen the documents generally described their contents to RealClearInvestigations. They said the material still under wraps includes: Evidence that President...

Over the last few weeks, we've been exploring the competing narratives about the US economy -- with the White House insisting that all is well, as many in the media hype up the possibility of a coming recession.  My general conclusion at this point has been that while there are some soft spots and genuine warning signs, the economy's fundamentals remain quite strong.  Unemployment has been quite low, the job market has been quite robust, and wage growth has broken free from years of frustrating stagnation.  We also recently received positive news on other indicators, including productivity, retail sales, and...

US bishops dismiss spokeswoman in wake of tweets praising Trump, opposing Democrats WASHINGTON, D.C., August 27, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has replaced its public affairs director a month after she was put on leave amid controversy over her criticism of Democrats and support for President Donald Trump on social media. Judy Keane was the USCCB’s public affairs director since 2016 until she shared pro-Trump tweets on her personal Twitter account that roiled “liberal” Catholics. The USCCB announced Thursday it had appointed the Archdiocese of Washington’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Chieko Noguchi, as Director of its Office...

Earlier this week, I met with some Christian friends who have lived and worked in China for many years. What they shared with me was chilling and sobering. (They are well-connected and not simply airing personal opinions.) First, the crackdown against Christian believers in the country (not to mention the crackdown against Muslims and others, which we did not discuss in detail), is getting increasingly severe. Just a few years ago, there were real signs of change. Persecution was lessening and liberties were increasing. But not today. There is a systematic attempt to purge the gospel from the nation. Even...

Before Joe Biden jumped into the 2020 race, this very columnist wrote a piece headlined: “Biden will run and Biden will win.” The premise of the brilliant piece was that while all the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination moved hard left — offering socialist programs like free health care and free college and pushing trillion-dollar projects and 70% tax rates — Biden would waltz in, play the sane moderate, be embraced by the mainstream media, and sweep to victory. It all may still happen, but he’s certainly not running away with the race (one recent poll showed him statistically...

Prosecutors initially said the fire killed eight women and 15 men and injured 13 people. López Obrador said the death toll had risen to 25, but did not specify the gender of the victims or the number of injured. There was no immediate information on their condition. Veracruz state police said the Tuesday night attack targeted the “Bar Caballo Blanco,” though the bar’s name was in English on a sign outside: “The White Horse Nightclub.” It advertised “quality, security and service,” private rooms for $7.50 “all night,” ‘‘sexy girls” and a pole dance contest. Photos of the scene showed tables...

GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson to resign at end of year BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 08/28/19 10:41 AM EDT GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson to resign at end of year GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson (Ga.) announced Wednesday that he will step down from the Senate at the end of the year, citing health issues. "After much prayer and consultation with my family and my doctors, I have made the very tough decision to leave the U.S. Senate at the end of this year. I have informed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today that I will resign my Senate seat effective December 31, 2019,"...